Veteran Actor Abe Vigoda of 'Godfather,' 'Barney Miller,' Dies at 94: This Time It's Not a Hoax

Beloved character actor Abe Vigoda, famous for his roles as the recalcitrant detective in TV's "Barney Miller" and the traitorous lieutenant in "The Godfather," has died at age 94, his daughter announced.

Vigoda's death had been falsely reported before, but his real passing came Tuesday morning in his sleep at his New Jersey home, his daughter, Carol Vigoda Fuchs, told The Associated Press.

The cause of death was old age, she said.

He had been a largely unknown New York theater actor until Francis Ford Coppola gave him the role of Sal Tessio in the first "Godfather" film in 1972.